IA Service Reflection
August 25, 2018, I had the opportunity to participate in the “Community Commitment” event put on by Ohio State’s “Office of Student Life. Myself and a group of IA scholars participated, and we were ultimately divided into three groups traveling to different parts of Columbus to serve the community. My specific group was assigned to the Goodwill service project, where we headed to a local Goodwill to help organize the store.
Before arriving at Goodwill, I didn’t necessarily understand the time and meticulous process that goes into the store’s organization. Before we began our activities, we were given a tour of the store by the manager. Through the tour, we learned that every piece of clothing is examined to ensure that the store has quality merchandise; those articles are then tagged and sorted into categories pertaining to gender and age. With this knowledge of the store’s process in hand, I was put in a small group assigned to tagging each of the clothes. This may seem like an unimportant activity in my life, but this trip to Goodwill impacted me and my view on Goodwill and other thrift stores. Prior to this service project, I assumed that the people working in thrift stores must not enjoy their jobs, or work there because they simply need a job, not because they truly want to. I also did not understand the care that is poured into each item sold, and that the employees truly enjoy their jobs.
While I tagged and sorted the clothes, I was able to talk to the employees. I learned about their stories and why they chose to work at Goodwill; they explained their love for serving others and that they want the underprivileged community in Columbus to get the very best. One woman explained how a few years ago she could only afford to purchase her clothes from Goodwill, and wants to give back to the quality service Goodwill provided her by working at the store. Through this woman’s story, I was impacted personally as I developed a new perspective pertaining to thrift stores and the employees who work them. These stores are filled with people of all ages who love their community, their job, and grasp to the story that led them to their current stage of life.
This activity related to International Affairs because as IA scholars, we examine a multitude of cultures and ethnicities. Goodwill is a store that attracts people representing every culture, ethnicity, religion, etc.; the company serves all people and allows people to find clothes and household items that fit their styles and represent their personalities. Goodwill also relates to my course of English 2367, as this course examines storytelling in every facet of society. Every piece of clothing sold at Goodwill is a donation; a donation holding a story of who bought it, wore it, and it turned into Goodwill. And each of those clothing articles are prepared for the story to continue, as someone new will purchase the piece and add onto the narrative.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this service event, as I learned more about Goodwill, thrift stores in general, and was able to see more of the Columbus area since I am from Cincinnati. Plus, I was able to bond with the other International Affairs scholars in my group and build friendships, since this event occurred during the first week of school. In the future I would love to do this type of service activity again, as this experience provided a new perspective on Goodwill, new scholars friends, and a new appreciation of the Goodwill employees and their stories.